Ubercool

‘Til Texting Do Us Part

July 24th, 2007

Updated 07-Aug-07: Remember that old joke about walking and chewing gum at the same time? The modern version is sending text messages, or checking e-mail for that matter, while driving. Unfortunately it’s no joking matter. The Wall Street Journal reported this phenomenon on March 14 in a story entitled “Legislators Aim At a New Misdeed On the Road: DWT.”

“Forget DWI ([DUI]. The big new traffic-safety issue is DWT: Driving While Texting,” said The Journal. That was before five New York teenagers were killed in a car accident on June 26, which appears related to mobile-phone use.

Several minutes before the first 911 call about the crash, the 17-year-old driver, Bailey Goodman, talked briefly with a fellow graduate trailing her in another car. Two minutes before the crash was reported, her phone was used to send a text message to a friend.

The DWT trend is not limited to the U.S. In the U.K., Rachel Begg, 19, entered prison on July 20 for four years after causing the death of Maureen Waites, a 64-year-old grandmother. Begg used her phone nine times during a 15-minute ride before ploughing into Waites’ car at 70mph.

Statistically, teenagers are the most dangerous drivers on the road. According to a University of Utah study, automobile accidents are the leading cause of death for teenagers, blamed for two out of every five fatalities. And, 16-year-olds have twice the fatal crash rate per mile than 18- and 19-year-olds.

New York State Senator Carl Marcellino and Assemblyman Felix Ortiz are co-sponsoring a bill that would ban driving while texting (DWT). If the proposal is enacted, violators would pay a $100 fine and New York would join 14 other states and the District of Columbia that now have a law prohibiting teens from using their mobile phone while driving. In 2006, 33 states introduced similar legislation.

The surging popularity of multitasking suggests that the DWT trend will be difficult to contain, despite laws banning it. A Harris Interactive poll released on August 7 found that 91% of Americans believe sending text messages while driving is as dangerous as driving after having a few drinks, yet 57% admit to doing it.

Supporting this finding, an AAA survey found that 46% of teens admit to texting while driving. By comparison, just 11% admit to driving under the influence. Given society’s penchant for speeding things up, cars that can drive on auto pilot may well be the only solution.

Ubertrends: Time Compression, Unwired
Value Propellants: Multi-Functional, Speed, Connectedness

Entry Filed under: Lifestyle, Consumer Electronics